Excelaron seeking continuance on oil drilling application

August 1, 2012

Officials with Excelaron, the company seeking to drill as many as 12 oil wells in the Huasna Valley near Arroyo Grande, plan to ask the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors for a continuation. [Tribune]

Excelaron’s planner Carol Florence told the Tribune she would be asking the board for a continuation when it meets to discuss the drilling plans on Aug. 21 in order to provide time for the county’s environmental impact consultant to make changes to his report.

A delay could result in the project coming back in front of the supervisors next year when a more business friendly board is in place. Currently, Supervisors Jim Patterson, Adam Hill and Bruce Gibson form a majority. Hill said during his campaign he was opposed to the project.

Debbie Arnold’s recent election is slated to result in a board that is more open to growth and the creation of jobs.

In May, the supervisors listened to a parade of people during a half-day public hearing as they voiced opinions on the proposed Excelaron oil drilling plan.

Opponents of the plan said that drilling would change the character of the area and expressed fears that the Excelaron’s operations would create noise and fire potential.

Florence pointed out that the county planning commission’s denial of the project was based on inaccurate information that conflicted with the county’s environmental impact report. Proponents also touted Excelaron’s offer to pay $1 per barrel of oil into a fund that would pay for installing solar panels in county schools.

In addition, several speakers noted the possibility that the mineral-rights owners would prevail in a lawsuit against the county if the board votes to reject the project.

3 Comments

The 1909 prospectus for the San Luis Obispo Oil Company [based in New York City] invited investment in oil wells in Huasna Valley (Rancho Huasna), Rancho Pismo, Rancho Corral de Piedra, Rancho Guadalupe, Rancho Bolsa de Chamisal, and Rancho Nipomo. At the time this area was considered one to be the largest deposit of petroleum discovered in all time. Tar Springs Ranch got its name honestly. Producing wells around Huasna operated well into the 1970s. Evidence of this oil production persists for anyone to see, at least if they didn’t close their eyes while moving into the Huasna area.

Instead of panicking or manufacturing fears, the neighbors and policy makers should focus on applying this historic resource production to improving the environment for those living in and around the production zone.

Debbie was a big supporter of CCN and Karen through her ads-The Trib put it a little more realistically ,…”A more pro-growth Board of Supervisors may decide on project if the decision is postponed”
No more antagonizing the hands that feed you?

“Debbie Arnold’s recent election is slated to result in a board that is more open to growth and the creation of jobs.” Really? “Slated” to be more open to the creation of jobs? The implication being the current board is not very open to “job creation”? Is this the Teabagger column? That was simply one of the six talking points Arnold would repeat instead of answering a question. i listened to her debate with Jim Patterson on the radio and was struck by not only her obvious ignorance, but her equally glaring lack of critical thinking. Embarrassing to have such a dim bulb on our Board of Stupidvisors(sic). But then again, she won’t have to do any thinking, she’ll just do what her developer and teabagger friends (owners) tell her.